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KIRSTEN SZKLANY - DANISH
The first day at the second home was strange because I didn’t know how much English they knew which was the reason that I didn’t prepare something. The following days it got better and better. Maybe it is an idea to evaluate each day – just shortly – and other volunteers can get an impression of what the children know.
I really liked it at the V4D Program although once in a while it was quite difficult to teach because I’ve never taught before – like what am I going to do and how am I going to do it. The children are great and I am really going to miss them. I am very pleased that Vietnam staff invited us to join the picnic to Bat Trang village with those children, that is a great place, and it is nice to do some other things than only teaching.
In the volunteer house everything is perfect; the arrival, the people and the food – very nice food. I have nothing to complain about. The only thing I want to say is: keep on going like you do now. I will definitely recommend this organization to others.

Jason Thai - USA Dear,
Thanks for everything; I had such a great experience. It cannot be stated in words how much I appreciated the generosity that was shown to me. I cannot thank enough the entire staff and all the volunteers for making my volunteer efforts remarkable easy, from providing me transport to and from the orphanage, taking me on excursions throughout Hanoi and most importantly, showing me unparalleled kindness and teaching me more about the culture. I truly wish the organization the best of luck going forward and hope everyone is extremely successful in what they do and that they’ll have a chance to travel and see the sites beyond Hanoi!!!!
Thanks again, I’ll never forget the volunteers, staff and everyone that made this experience truly memorable!!

JasonPS – Please do let me know if you are ever in the US, so I can repay the generosity that you have show me.

My decision to join the volunteering effort here in Vietnam was a last minute decision and I certainly did not have any expectations or prior knowledge of what this beautiful country can provide to prospective volunteers such as myself.

The first thing that amazed me upon my arrival at the V4D volunteer house was the warmth expressed by all the staff of the V4D organization which made me feel that I could count on them for anything during my stay.

Even though it depends on each individual how long it will take to adapt to this totally new environment an open-minded mentality will be enough to make this country feel like a new home in no time.

I became good friends with the Vietnamese and international volunteers in a matter of hours while I fell in love with the Vietnamese culture from day 1.

The greatest thing about my two week stay was that it wasn’t only an eye-opening cultural experience but it also felt extremely rewarding to help the people of this wonderful country.

I think that all the volunteering projects provided by V4D, whether it is teaching English at an orphan school (which is what I was doing! ) or environmental conservation or improving working conditions and fair trade are all very engaging and extremely rewarding projects.

I had an amazing time and I know these were some of the best two weeks of my life!

“I love Vietnam! I love the children! I love the volunteers that I have had the pleasure of working with and have formed strong friendships, which I do not doubt will be maintained for years to come. The schools and the scheme do incredible work and I am proud to have been involved and very lucky. I want to do this again and again and it has only made me more enthusiastic to try and work with similar schemes in England before I can return to Hanoi! I love my job, I get excited on my way to the schools and leave (a little sweaty…it’s very hot) but very, very, VERY happy. In my photo’s the faces of children and volunteers alike glow and I am deeply saddened to have to return home…I miss the children already! And the Vietnamese volunteers make me laugh every day. I hope I am missed as much as I shall miss my time and daily excitement, joy and the feeling of being blessed to be here (and the beer!! but maybe not the traffic) Thank you V4D!!!”

I chose to be involved in this project as I wanted to get to know a different culture ‘from the inside’ and I really feel I’ve achieved this. The volunteers at V4D have made all of us very welcome and have gone out of their way to take us to see the real Vietnam. As for working with the children at the different schools, this has been an incredible experience. Being with children, many of whom don’t have much in terms of material possessions, but who more than make up for that in smiles and warmth, has been a real pleasure. They’ve really allowed us into their worlds and it has been a joy to get to know them and see them learn and develop, even during a short period. I would fully recommend signing up for a project such as this – you will get so much more than you could ever imagine out of it!

I am truly honored and privileged to work with the volunteer team at V4D, the team are such kind genuine individuals and have made me feel so welcome in their home. Working with the children has been such an eye opener and I will remember each child and their individual story. Tomorrow we have a farewell party with the street children and I’m looking forward to seeing them again even though it will be my last time before I leave for London- I know it will be extremely difficult to say goodbye as the children have such amazing, beautiful, individual personalities which I will dearly miss.
It has been such a pleasure and an amazing experience to work with the street children, the children at the orphanage, the volunteers at V4D and to work in such a buzzing, amazing, wonderful city- Hanoi! I hope one day to return soon to see how the children have grown and developed. Thank you V4D for this wonderful opportunity! Goodbye Hanoi!

Charlotte Pester–England
I sponsored three people who study here at the center, meeting them has been very moving for me, and the hard work they do is incredible. I have also brought many books and pens for the children at the street school. I hope that sponsoring the three people will help them to achieve their goals, and make life a little easier from the day to day struggle. Working here has been a life changing experience for me, and I hope to come back in the near future to help as much as I can, the people are so hard working and kind, although life is difficult they still make the most of everything. I am grateful for the support and kindness I have been given.

Mr. Duy Khang Tong

Nationality: Vietnamese - SwissDate: 2012, August

"I
had a very good time on this camp. I learned a lot about the local
people and the culture. This trip was kind of adventure for me on the
same time you meeting volunteer people to share the experience. The
choice of the place where we spend was very nice and interesting. I
think as a group we worked pretty well together. In short, the trip is
over my expectation, although the schedule changed a few times"

Mr. MaximeThrvolleNationality: French Date: 2012, August

The
camp was really interesting and I learnt a lot about life in the
countryside and how farmers lived and see the world. The scenery was
beautiful and the landscapes were to be preserved.

Mr. Guy Nicholson

Nationality: BritishDate: 2012, AugustI
thought the program theme was very positive and focused on helping the
local people in rural Vietnam live better life and to use our knowledge
to help them progress their business and increase our awareness of how
they live. The atmosphere was relaxed, I felt very welcome in the group
and I felt like the organization was grateful for my attendance. I felt
that I got a chance to really interact with rural people to a depth that
I could not access through a travel agent's tour.

Ashley from Newzealand[24/10/2012]

This
is a wonderful program to be a part of. V4D is doing extremely good
work for people who need it, and will look after you perfectly
throughout your time here.

Ha Noi and Viet Nam are great places that allow endless opportunity to
meet amazing people, see super sights, and feel the life in the world.

We
had a great time working for V4D program. The schools we
worked at ranged from young kids, to people with disabilities, and high
school aged students. All of the schools were a lot of fun to work at
and I feel as though we learned as much from them as they did from us.

V4D was a great host and took great care of us during
our stay. Vietnamese coordinators arranged for tours around the area as well as provided us
with excellent food. They is a awesome cook. I would definitely recommend
this workaway to anyone who is interested.

Eduardo Duarte - England

Once again thank you very much for making my experience in Vietnam so incredible. I will never forget you all and the children.

In regards to feedback, first of all I think that Mr. Son was extremely supportive with me and always tried to answer my needs. I found the whole community very welcome and with good hospitality. By having dinner and lunch with them all the time, it gave me the opportunity to learn more about your culture which is another plus for my experience in Vietnam.

The planning/timetable was very clear, I am very happy and pleased to be the first volunteer coming to Vietnam, and once again thank you very much for accepting me. It was a wonderful experience :)